I remember talking to old-school African American grandpops, and they're just like, 'When I saw my wife, I looked up from across the street, and I said, 'That girl gon' be my wife someday.' And we've been married 45 years.' Like, what? That's all it took?

Yvonne Orji

A lot of people hustle differently, and I was like, 'You know what, let me hustle and create, and let me have something to show,' cuz my hustle led to opportunity.

Yvonne Orji

On a man, I love Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille. But I wear Orchid Soleil - I love a sweet smell.

Yvonne Orji

As for my role models... you know, I'm an immigrant, so we didn't grow up with too much TV. My parents were like, 'You must read your books.'

Yvonne Orji

I say all the time that when you first meet me, you know three things right off the bat: I'm Nigerian, I love to laugh, and I love Jesus.

Yvonne Orji

As a performer, the thing you want the most is to be your authentic self.

Yvonne Orji

I have a show called 'First Gen' that David Oyelowo is executive producing.

Yvonne Orji

I like things to happen organically.

Yvonne Orji

There's this idea if you are a woman of colour, that you must never let them see you break down. That we've got to show ourselves in the best light, always, as the 'Strong Black Women' and bring that 'black girl magic' all the time.

Yvonne Orji

I started comedy in 2006. I didn't even think it was a thing I could do.

Yvonne Orji

There's not one black narrative. There's not one way to be black.

Yvonne Orji

I came to America when I was six. In true African form, my parents wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer or engineer.

Yvonne Orji

As strong as we are, we have our moments. My mama is an African woman who had four kids and was a nurse for 25 years, and she had her moments. I've seen her cry.

Yvonne Orji

How many shows on TV do you see young black people, both women and men, really embody a full-fledged human being, flaws and all?

Yvonne Orji

I remember, growing up, it wasn't sexy to be African. We got called names.

Yvonne Orji

I don't know how often white people look around and think, 'Wow, there's really a lot of white people here; we should fix that.' But I know black people often look around and think, 'Wow, I'm the only one here - why?'

Yvonne Orji

You can't say you're an actor if you've never acted, and you can't act if no one gives you an opportunity, but they won't give you an opportunity because you've never acted. You're like, 'What in the world? Someone give me a chance!'

Yvonne Orji

My faith - as well as my Nigerian culture - really gave me the substance and foundation to be who I desire to be in life.

Yvonne Orji

I worked for a company called Population Services International, a social marketing company advocating healthy behaviors. We had a big branding campaign with celebrities to help educate about the proper use of mosquito nets, for example, to help prevent malaria.

Yvonne Orji

I used to work in public health, and the issues were sustainability, how the funds were being delineated, and if the funds were actually helping the people we think they're helping.

Yvonne Orji

I was looking around this room, this sea of industry folk. If I had have worn black and white, somebody would have asked me to get them a cocktail; the only other people of colour there were servers.

Yvonne Orji